Raising and lowering mechanism for curtains.



HODGES.

RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM FOR CURTAINS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1914.

0 Patented July Ti, 1914!.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1 I. HODGBS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14,1914.

LXQQ QQBQEN wwweoow WW 5m i IRENE nonons, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

RAISING AND' LOWERING MECHANISM FOR CURTAINS.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1914.

Application filed January 14, 1914. Serial No. 812,078.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRENE Honors, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Raising andLowering Mechanism for Curtains, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to raising and lowering mechanism for theatercurtains, window shades or the like; and it has for its primary objectthe provision of electrically controlled mechanism for winding thecurtain on or unwinding the same from its supporting roll and forautomatically retarding the rotation of the roll instantly on therequisite adjustment, of the curtain.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination and. a rrangement ofparts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a front view of the curtainconventionally showing the application of the windingand unwindingmechanism thereto; Fig. 2 1s a side view of the controlling motor; Fig.3 is a section, taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front view ofthe strip; Fig. 5 is a side view thereof; and Fig. 6 is a diagrammaticview, illustrating the mantionally illustrated at G while the ner ofconnecting the motor respectively in' to be extended. The axis or shaft1 ofthe' 'roll A is connected at 2 with a motor 3,,

and as illustrated in Fi 6 said motor is connected in a field clrcuit Eand an armature circuit F, the armature being convennets are shown at H.Contact posts II are connected with the terminals of the field circuit,and as shown these posts are associated with similar posts J-J of aswitch K, the latter being clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Thesaid posts J are connected through the leads K?-K' with the fieldcircuit E, while connected through the armature circuit are posts LL, onwhich Switch blades M-M are secured, as at N. These blades arepreferably disposed in parallel relation and they are adapted to extendoverthe posts I -I and JJ and to be spaced therefrom normally, as shownin Flg. 5. For this reason the blades MM are constructed preferably ofstrips of flat sheet spring metal that are .adapted to normallyvbe infiat condition but which are adapted to be flexed at their ends so as tobe thrown reslpectively into engagement with the contacts I and J-J. Thesaid strips M.M are connected with each other by insulatlng blocks 0-0,which are provided intermediate of their ends with handles P. In thecircuit E is a solenoid 4, the core 5 thereof being normally held in anextended position by means of a spring 6. This core 1s connected at 7 tolinks 8, and in turn these links are pivoted to rocking brake 1eyers 9that terminate in brake shoes 10 havingconcavities 11 which accommodatethe perlpheral surface of a friction wheel 12 mounted on the motor axis2.

With particular reference to Figs. 1, 5

and 6 of the drawings it will be seen by the manual depression of theswitch K by the lower handle P the blades M will be moved nto engagementwith the contacts I--I, closing the electric circuit and causing thecurrent to be taken from the main line and con- Veyed to the fieldcircuit and through the solenoid so as to energize the same and throughthe armature circuit so that the brake shoes 10 will be released fromthe friction brake wheel 12 and the shaft 1 revolved to cause anunwinding of the curtain as will be understood. The contacts J-J arereversely connected to the field circuit with respect to the contacts1-1, so a depression at the opposite handle P of the switch K, bringingthe same into engagement with the contacts J-J, thus reverses thedirection of the current through the field and, as a consequence', thecurtain will be drawn onto the roll. Immediately on moving the switch toan open circuit position, the solenoid will be influenced under theaction of the springs 6 and the brake shoes 10 will be instantly movedto applied osition. The circuit F may be rovided with an ordinary switchS to cut off the circuit from the mam line or to direct the circuittherethrough as desired.

From the foregoing description, taken in .3 and the minor details ofconstruction may he resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as claimed.

I claim 7. 1. The combination with a revolubly mounted roll and acurtain Wound thereon, of electrically controlled means for respectivelywinding and unwinding the curtain, and meansautom-atically operated onadjustment of the curtain to a predetermined position for holding thesupporting roll thereof against rotation and comprising means actuateddirectly through the said electric circuit.

20 2. The combination with a revolubly mounted roll and a curtain woundthereon, of electrically controlled means for respectively winding andunwinding the curtain, and means automatically operated on adjustment ofthe curtain to a predetermined position for holding the supporting rollthereof against rotation and comprising means actuated directly throughthe said electric circuit having normally active shoes engaging the axisof the roll and movable to inactive positions on closing the circuit.

3. The combination with a revolving roll having a curtain Wound thereon,of electrically operated means for respectively winding the curtain ontoand off of the roll and consisting of a motor connected with the roll,an electric circuit connected with the motor, means for determining thedirection of movement of the current through the circuit to cause thecurtain to be respectively Wound onto and unwound from said roll, and asolenoid in the circuit, a brake wheel on the axis of the motor andshoes cooperating with the wheel and controlled through the sole noid.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IRENE HODGES.

Witnesses:

ALICE HARTLING, J. J. FINN.

